Barcelona president Joan Laporta has revealed his club’s stance on the sale of midfielder Frenkie de Jong as talks with Manchester United continue.
The Red Devils have been looking to secure De Jong’s signature for over a week now. And according to a recent report from a Spanish outlet MarkBarcelona are happy to let him go.
They claim that De Jong is kicked out of the Nou Camp due to “economic problems”. This includes the bonuses he has in his contract with Barca and his weekly salary, which is more than Laporta wants in place.
Manchester United are ready to pay an initial fee of £55.6m for the Dutchman and are also in talks with Barca for over £17.1m in add-ons.
At this price, a sale would make sense for Laporta. This would improve his team’s poor financial situation and increase his chances of landing Robert Lewandowski, or any other transfer target he has in mind.
United are desperate to trap De Jong to appease new manager Erik ten Hag. The pair enjoy a good relationship after their spell at Ajax and Ten Hag knows he can get the most out of the star.
But amid all the pressure, Barca seem to be holding their own. As the Spanish outfit unveiled new signing Franck Kessie, Laporta was asked about De Jong’s future.
He said (via Fabrizio Romano): “Frenkie de Jong is a Barcelona player – we don’t want to sell him unless we have no other choice.
Laporta hopes to keep Frenkie de Jong in Spain
“Of course we know there are offers for De Jong. But we don’t want to sell him.
Laporta’s comments suggest Barca will be playing hardball over the next few days when it comes to negotiations with United.
As a result, United could find it difficult to land the 25-year-old without overpaying – if they haven’t already.
Why do Manchester United want Frenkie de Jong?
Why Manchester United want Frenkie de Jong when the player apparently doesn’t want to move to Old Trafford?
De Jong faces a tough decision on where to play next season. He loves Barca and obviously would like to continue in Catalonia.
But reuniting with Ten Hag is an attractive proposition and it could see him swap La Liga for the Premier League, if Barca allow it.
Meanwhile, Wednesday’s Euro Paper Talk has the latest on Paulo Dybala’s United links.
